Hockey’s sister act on a roll

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This article was published 15/11/2023 (872 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sara and Kate Manness are in very elite company.

The 16-year-old fraternal twins from La Salle represented Manitoba at the recent U18 women’s nationals in Dawson Creek, B.C., where Sara, a centre, was tied for the tournament lead with five goals in five games to earn MVP honours while Kate was rock solid on the blue line.

By the fall of 2024, the Grade 11 students will study and play hockey at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul after garnering interest from more than 30 NCAA Division I programs.

“It was definitely a challenge,” says Sara, who scored a goal and added a pair of assists to help Manitoba beat Atlantic 2-1 in the tournament’s seventh-place game. “Manitoba’s not usually one of the strongest teams, especially lately, so I knew I had a big role coming in and me and (winger) Morgan (Smith), we both kind of knew what our role was on a team and we mentally prepared for that. When it comes to my performance, I think I did a good job and it was kind of how I hoped I would perform.”

Sara finished nationals with 10 points — good for top spot in tournament scoring — but her reputation as a dynamic, offensive-minded forward is old news.

As a 15-year-old in 2022-23, she led the Balmoral Hall Blazers of the Junior Women’s Hockey League with 51 goals and 117 points in 46 games and, after an off-season move to the Burlington Barracudas of the Ontario Women’s Hockey League’s U22 division, added 13 goals and 26 points in her first nine games.

That total puts her second in the highly competitive OWHL scoring race.

“She obviously knew her role was going to be more offensive and we tried to put her in positions where she could capitalize on that — and she certainly did,” says Manitoba head coach Maggie Litchfield-Medd, who was an assistant coach on the provincial team at the 2023 Canada Winter Games where Sara, as the team’s youngest player, led Manitoba with four goals and nine points in six games. “And she did it against top teams, which is hard. Especially when her line was going out against their top lines…

“On the team side of things, everyone just supported her and she supported them, which is what you want to see. Especially with your top players.”

Kate, meanwhile, has a goal and six points in seven games since moving to Burlington with her sister. In Dawson Creek, Kate chipped in with two assists in five games.

“Kate is one of the smartest (on defence),” says Balmoral Hall head coach Sarah Zacharias, who is currently on maternity leave. “I would want her out in the D-zone in any situation. She’s amazing offensively as well and was a huge threat on our power play but I think her defensive-minded game is excellent. She’s the kind of kid that doesn’t make mistakes and she doesn’t give any time and space to anyone.”

Moving to what is arguably the country’s most competitive league had some clear advantages for the Manness twins.

“I loved my team at (Balmoral Hall) — me and Kate both did — but sometimes change is good,” says Sara. “We were looking for a new opportunity and a new environment to challenge ourselves on the ice. We play more games here and against some of the best players in the country and we can do that without having to travel as much.”

Balmoral Hall’s tough travel schedule, with games in the U.S. northeast and eastern Canada, is a far cry from playing in Burlington, where road trips are short highway journeys into the Greater Toronto Area.

“Sometimes I miss home, but it’s always good to get a new start and it’s been fun so far,” says Kate. “It hasn’t been tough. It’s been a great experience so far. I like the life of the hockey here where we get to play games on the weekend with less travel.”

Kate’s skills might not be as flashy but she has a well-earned reputation as an efficient defender and puck mover. At 5-6, the right-handed shooting Kate is also three inches shorter than her left-handed sister.

“I would say my smarts and my playmaking and carrying the puck out of the zone (are my strength),” says Kate. “And my one-on-one abilities are pretty good, too. I like being the quarterback of the play.”

Sara’s MVP performance at nationals may have cemented her inclusion on the Canadian U18 team that will play at the world championship in Zug, Switzerland, Jan. 6-14.

“You can’t really worry about it too much because when you’re playing, that’s the last thing you want to be thinking about,” says Sara. “But it’s definitely always in the back of my mind — trying to earn a spot for the team coming up. I’m just going to do whatever it takes to get it.”

Adds Kate, “I was really proud of her. It’s really great to see her do so well and be able to get MVP. She inspired me a lot by how great she played.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca